Harry Potter: After the War
by piano-player-dragon-slayer
Summary: Harry Potter thought he was free to live out the rest of his life in peace after the end of the Second Wizarding War and Voldemort's defeat. Now there's a new darkness that threatens the lives of Harry, his girlfriend Ginny, his closest friends, and the rest of the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Harry jerked awake as the first bit of sunlight filtered in through the curtains, warming the room he and Ron shared. Ron was still snoring on the top of the bunk bed. Harry didn't blame him. He wish he could sleep as soundly as Ron. He still had nightmares that plagued him every night. He knew trying to go back to sleep now would be useless so, with a sigh, he rose from the bed and pulled a shirt on. The Burrow was eerily quiet in the mornings. Harry quietly made his way down the hallway passed all the doors and crept downstairs to the kitchen, making sure to skip the last step which always creaked. He began to make tea the muggle way since he left his wand upstairs and didn't feel like going back up. When he was done, he held the mug in his hands and stared out the kitchen window at the sun rising over the treetops in the distance.

Only two months had passed since the Second Wizarding War, as it was called. Harry, declared the Chosen One, was deemed the only one capable of stopping Voldemort from toppling the Ministry of Magic and conquering the entire wizard community. He had succeeded, but many lives were lost along the way. Hogwarts had shut down, but was scheduled to be reopened by the next school year.

"Good morning," a familiar voice said behind him.

Harry turned to face her, already feeling his face becoming red at her sudden appearance. Ginny - his _girlfriend_ , he thought immediately, even though they hadn't talked about things since the war ended, he just assumed they were back together at last - was the only one who could sneak up on him like this without scaring him. Everything about her calmed him down and also excited him at the same time. She was wearing a soft cotton blue t-shirt that Harry recognized as his own, grey sweatpants, and pygmy puff slippers. Harry thought the slippers were ridiculous but somehow they looked cute on Ginny. She smiled up at him with perfect straight teeth, her long red hair hanging on one side of her shoulder. She was the only one who affected him the way she did.

"Morning," he smiled back, pulling her against him into a hug. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep," she explained. "Then I heard you going downstairs."

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else would be up this early?" She laughed, lifting up on her toes to peck him on the lips. He sighed in contentment and they just stood there, holding each other as more sunlight brightened the room. Ginny's voice was more serious when she spoke again. "More nightmares?"

Harry nodded wordlessly against her shoulder and she squeezed him tighter.

"Me too," she whispered, then jerked out of his embrace when they heard a door close upstairs, taking with her all of the warmth he had felt. She busied herself with looking in the fridge as they heard footsteps coming downstairs. It was Mrs. Weasley. She looked as if she had aged ten years since the war ended. Out of everybody in the Burrow besides George, Mrs. Weasley was taking Fred's death the hardest. She put all of her focus on cooking, doing odd tasks around the house, and taking care of everyone else. She tried not to show that she was grieving in front of Harry and her family, but too often Harry had caught her wiping tears from her eyes or flipping through a family album which had pictures of Fred, usually accompanied by George, waving up at her. She drew up short when she saw Harry.

"Oh, good morning, Harry," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Then she noticed Ginny who was still rummaging in the fridge. "Ginny, dear, don't bother. I'm about to get breakfast started. Go wash up. And wake Ron up before he sleeps his whole day away."

Harry looked at his watch. It was still pretty early, but a lot of time had passed since he came downstairs. Mrs. Weasley began to fish ingredients out of the fridge and cupboards, humming under her breath. Harry noticed that she didn't use her wand to cook anymore. Instead, she did everything by hand the Muggle way. He figured she did it to keep herself more busy. Harry wanted to say something but he wasn't sure how to break the awkward tension in the room. He briefly wondered if Mrs. Weasley somehow blamed Harry for her son's death. As usual, this thought brought with it a feeling of guilt.

Before he could dwell on it too much, Ginny was coming back downstairs, her hair still wet from her shower. She smiled at Harry and sat next to him at the table. Ron trudged down the stairs behind her and slumped into the chair across from Harry, still bleary-eyed. Harry and Ginny started having a conversation but Ron seemed too tired to join in even when Mrs. Weasley set a plate full of hot food in front of him. He just shoveled forkfuls of scrambled eggs into his mouth so fast Harry marveled at how he was even swallowing his food. Mealtimes in the Burrow since the end of the war were usually pretty quiet. Ginny tried to lead the conversation to what she considered 'safe' topics, nothing that concerned the war such as the latest news on her favorite all-girls Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies, or discussing what kind of supplies she thought she would need for her last year at Hogwarts, or wondering what some of their other classmates like Neville were up to. Ron still didn't seem up for conversation and Mrs. Weasley mumbled something about taking a tray of food up to George's room, even though he only picked at his food. Harry had hardly seen him since he had come to stay with the Weasleys.

A sharp tapping at the window indicated that the mail had arrived. Ginny, who was closest, jumped up to open the window. One of the Weasleys' owls flew in and landed awkwardly on the table, knocking off Harry's silverware and sending it clattering to the floor. Ginny sorted through the mail. "One for George, one for Percy - that _prat_ \- another one for George, and oh! I already got a letter from Hogwarts." Ginny still harbored anger towards Percy, who had continued working for the Ministry of Magic and had even become head of the Department of Magical Transportation.

Harry came up to stand close behind her, reading over her shoulder. "Anything for me?"

She glanced at him with a sly smirk. "Why, are you expecting a fan letter from some girl?"

"Why would I want that when I already have the perfect girl right here?"

"Oi!" Ron nearly bellowed, slamming his fork down. He stabbed a finger at them. "None of that talk around me. I'm still not use to my best friend and my _sister_ being an item."

"God, honestly Ron, sometimes you nag worse than mum," Ginny scoffed. "Besides, Hermione will be here in a couple of days. Don't pretend you two aren't any better than us."

"Wait, Hermione's coming here?" Ron straightened in his chair, his eyes widening. "How do you know?"

"She told me a few days ago, I wanted to keep it a surprise until now. Here, she wrote you," Ginny said, and she grabbed a letter from the pile and tossed it at Ron, who stared down at it in shock as if it were a howler. After he read it, he seemed to be in a much better mood. He went upstairs to shower with a ridiculous grin on his face.

"I knew that would cheer him up," Ginny said smugly. "Are you sure you're alright, Harry?"

Harry was staring out the window again, thinking about Hedwig, who he missed. He had a lot of time now to miss everyone he had lost. He gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Yeah, I think I just need to go on a walk for a bit."

"Okay," Ginny said simply, using her wand to begin cleaning up the dishes. That was the good thing about Ginny. She understood him perfectly and knew when he needed to be alone.

He walked outside into the warm summer air, letting his feet take him wherever they led. He ended up sitting on a fallen tree stump within seeing distance of the Burrow. He stared up at the sky, finally allowing all of the thoughts he tried he tried to shut out enter his mind. He thought about Sirius too because, even though his death had occurred before the war, it was still hard to believe he was gone. The memories scared him, still haunted him in his sleep. Mr. Weasley had said it wasn't healthy for him to hold in everything. Speaking of Mr. Weasley, Harry saw him step out of the front door and make his way towards where he sat. Harry took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself.

"Hi, Harry," he said cheerfully, smiling down at him. "Lovely day, isn't it? Mind if I join you?"

"Hey, Mr. Weasley."

"Call me Arthur, Harry, I think it's appropriate given your age and everything we've been through."

"Alright, Arthur." It felt weird to address Mr. Weasley by his first name. He gestured to a spot next to him on the log. "Go ahead."

Mr. Weasley settled next to him, sighing and looking up into the sky. Harry wasn't sure what to say so he kept quiet. Luckily, Mr. Weasley was good at supplying conversation. "Work has been busy lately. Did I tell you I've been promoted?" He didn't give Harry time to respond. "You know, Harry, I see you sitting by yourself a lot the past few days. Something on your mind?"

Harry wasn't sure how to put it into words. Mr. Weasley was the closest thing to a father Harry had, besides Sirius. Thinking about Sirius again put a lump in his throat. He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and tried to explain. "I keep thinking…about everything. I think about Dumbledore a lot, and Sirius, too…And what's worse is I have this horrible feeling that something isn't right. I know the prophecy ended when I killed Voldemort, but I still have nightmares. I thought after the war I would feel settled, you know. At peace. Something keeps tugging at my mind, and this voice in my head keeps telling me it's not over yet."

He took a deep breath. It felt good to tell someone everything on his mind, but to voice his fears made them seem more real. He shivered despite the sun warming his skin. Mr. Weasley paused for a moment to digest his words, then he said carefully, "Harry, I don't expect you'll recover from the war for a few more years. What you went through was traumatic, for all of us, but you especially. You'll move past this. We all will."

The words gave Harry little comfort as he followed Mr. Weasley back inside the house. His gut instinct was hardly ever wrong, and right now it was telling him something was coming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Just as she had promised in her letter, Hermione arrived at the Burrow a few days later, much to Ron's delight. It was odd to see them hold hands and be affectionate with each other, so Harry could kind of understand Ron's reservations with his and Ginny's relationship. Still, at least Harry and Ginny tried to conceal their affections. Ron made no effort to be secretive with Hermione, something that Ginny was quick to point out. Ron wouldn't say anything back, but his ears would turn redder than his hair which would make Hermione laugh. The four of them spent a lot of time together playing wizard's chess. Ron, having grown up playing it with his siblings, always won, but Harry was getting better with all of the practice. They also spent hours playing Quidditch. Hermione usually watched from the ground when they played, her nose buried in a book.

"Come on, Hermione, quick reading," Ron teased. "We're not in school anymore."

"Just because you don't want to increase your knowledge on interesting topics doesn't mean I don't want to," Hermione said with a smirk. They were close enough to see the words 'The History of House Elves' on the cover of the book and he and Ron shared an exasperated look.

Being together again made everything feel close to normal. It was easier to forget about the dark persisting thoughts that always begged for Harry's attention, and Quidditch usually exhausted him enough so that he went right into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. This false sense of security lasted about two weeks after Hermione's arrival. Then one morning the four of them were eating breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when the mail came. This time it was Ron who divvied out the mail in between bites of food. Harry was surprised when Ron handed him a thick, folded up piece of parchment. His name was written in cursive on the front in heavy, black ink.

"Who's that from?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Not sure. I don't recognize the handwriting." Harry tore open the letter and a smaller piece of parchment fell out onto the table. He picked it up and read:

Harry,

Your dad gave me this letter years ago. I figured you would want to have a look at it. Hope all is well.

-C

Harry passed around the letter to the others, feeling his hands shaking as he looked down at the folded letter in his hands. His dad wrote this? He opened it while the others wondered aloud about the mysterious sender. Before he started reading he stood and left the room, feeling like this letter should be read in private. He hurried up to the room he shared with Ron, taking the stairs two at a time and closing the door softly behind him before leaning against it, breathing heavily. Finally he turned his attention to the letter, trying to steady his hands so he could focus on the words.

Dear Harry,

I've entrusted a close friend of mine to hold on to this letter for me. Your mother and I vowed to keep you safe from the moment we knew your mother was pregnant. The reason why my friend is holding this letter is to warn you of danger in case something happens to your mother and I and we are unable to contact you.

Harry had to stop there. His chest felt tight, constricted. He took a few deep breaths before reading on.

There is very dark and powerful magic in the world besides the kind you know. If you are reading this, you need to find help and safety immediately. Our friend is a Seer and can sense danger before it happens. Your mother and I love you very much, and we hope you never read the words on this letter.

With great love,

Your mother and father

Harry stared at the letter. This had to be a mistake. Maybe this was to warn him about Voldemort when he was still alive and he just received the letter very, very late. What if it was something worse? What if there was another wizard whose powers could completely overshadow any that Voldemort possessed? How would his parents expect him to find help if they didn't tell him what the danger was? What was the point then?

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a soft knock behind him. He quickly scampered away from the door right before it cracked open and Ron poked his head in.

"Alright, mate?" He was surprised to see Harry on the floor.

Harry shook his head, clutching the letter. "I need to talk to your dad."

Minutes later Mr. Weasley was crouched in front of Harry on the floor next to Ron's bed, his eyes scanning over every word of the letter slowly. He had ordered Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to stay in the kitchen, ignoring their protests. Harry watched his face intently as he read but he remained expressionless.

"Well?" Harry prompted when Mr. Weasley lowered the letter to his lap. "What do you think? I told you something didn't feel right."

"Harry, I think this is some kind of misunderstanding. Or, worse case scenario, a very hurtful prank. I just couldn't imagine what kind of threat this letter would be referring to."

Harry was disappointed Mr. Weasley didn't think it was more serious. Who did he know who would send such an awful prank? Even Malfoy at his worst wouldn't stoop to that level. He didn't know anyone else who would go through so much trouble to scare him. Did Mr. Weasley not believe him about his gut feeling that something wasn't right?

"Look," Mr. Weasley sighed when he registered the betrayal written on Harry's face. "I'll take this to the Ministry of Magic and see what I can find out. They may be able to trace the letter back to it's sender or see if it's been tampered with. For now, though, don't scare the others. If you want I can talk to them and make up some kind of excuse."

Harry nodded, even though guilt flooded through him. He told Ron, Hermione, and Ginny almost everything. Mr. Weasley gave his shoulder a squeeze and went back downstairs. Harry couldn't shake the bad feeling that was clouding his mind. He waited a few minutes before joining the others even though he felt too nauseous to eat. He could feel their eyes on him but whatever lie Mr. Weasley told them sufficed because nobody brought up the letter again.

That night Harry lied awake for hours after Ron's loud snoring had commenced. When he finally did slip into a restless sleep, he tossed and turned until someone was shaking him awake. His eyes shot open to see a slim figure leaning over him in the dim light. He opened his mouth but the shadow put a finger over his lips.

"Shh, it's me, Harry."

"Ginny? What are you doing in here?"

His eyes adjusted to the darkness and her features slowly came into focus, though slightly blurry because he didn't have his glasses on. She was frowning and she looked worried.

"You were talking in your sleep. Almost yelling. I could hear you from across the hall."

"Oh," he whispered, Ron's snoring nearly drowning out his words. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I was already awake," she whispered back, slipping her hand in his. "Harry, I'm worried about you. Whatever was in that letter made your nightmares worse."

"Ginny, it was nothing-" He began.

"I know when you're lying," she said, sounding annoyed. "And I know what my dad told us was some kind of cover up. I'm sure Ron and Hermione weren't fooled either."

"Ginny, look, I trust you with my life, but I can't tell you what's going on."

"I know. But I can't stand to hear you suffer by yourself. Whatever's going on, I want to be there to support you." She looked into his eyes with a softness that touched his heart. He felt a rush of gratitude for her and he pulled her down to lie on the bed with him, wrapping her in his arms and breathing in the smell of her shampoo. She rubbed his back and, what seemed like seconds later he was lulled into a peaceful sleep.

Author's note: I've never posted any of my writing anywhere before, so I'd be glad to accept any tips/criticism. Thanks :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

The next morning, Harry opened his eyes just in time to see Ginny slip out of his room silently into the hallway. Ron wasn't snoring but Harry could see an arm flopped over the side of his bed, twitching occasionally. Thoughts started coming back to him, fears about what that letter could possibly mean. He pushed them away, trying instead to think about more pleasant thoughts. Mr. Weasley said not to worry and that he'd handle it. Harry lied awake for a few hours until he could hear voices floating up the stairs from down in the kitchen. He knew that today everybody (well, everybody except George of course) was going into Diagon Alley to get Ginny supplies for her upcoming school year. Harry stood up and walked over to Ron's bed.

"No, Harry, I can't play Quidditch," Ron mumbled as Harry tried shaking him awake. "I have to save Hogwarts from the giant spiders."

Harry rolled his eyes. Ron always talked nonsense in the mornings. It took a few more tries to finally get Ron awake enough to come downstairs and join the others for breakfast. Everybody was awake and showered and already eating.

"There you boys are," Mrs. Weasley said, looking happier than usual. " I was just about to send Hermione up to get you."

Ron and Harry sat down as Mrs. Weasley offered them stacks of pancakes. Ginny winked at Harry when no one was looking and he felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. After breakfast, he caught her alone upstairs gathering a few things for their day.

"No nightmares?" She said when she saw him standing in her doorway watching her.

"None," he said. "Ginny, I love sleeping in your arms and having you there when I wake up at night, but we need to be more careful. If your dad caught us sleeping in the same bed he'd kill me, even though we haven't done anything inappropriate."

"Relax, Harry. Nobody in this house even pays attention to things anymore. Besides, we're both adults."

"Still, I don't think Ron would find it very amusing if he knew. Or your father. Or your mother. Or any of your other brothers who are significantly taller and stronger than me," he winced at the thought of one of them discovering his and Ginny's sleeping arrangement.

Ginny crossed the room to stand close to him. When she looked into his eyes all he wanted to do was kiss her. "How about this? If we're caught, I'll take the blame. And if you're that worried about it, we can stop. I just wanted to help you sleep. It helps me, too."

He forgot that he wasn't the only one who had nightmares. He hugged her, glad nothing was in the way of them being in a relationship anymore. Something about Ginny kept him pulling back to her, like they were magnets that were too strong to be forced apart. Sometimes he would even let himself think about them being married one day, silly as that seemed since they had only been dating a short time.

Mrs. Weasley called them back downstairs to get ready to leave. Ginny grabbed her list and they walked hand and hand downstairs, Harry feeling better than he had in awhile.

Since Harry had not been to Diagon Alley since Voldemort's death, he was shocked to see his own face smiling and waving at passerbys from posters that covered almost every shop window and lamp post.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled to Ron, tearing down the posters as they walked along the shops.

"People are just celebrating, Harry," Ron said as Hermione, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley headed into Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. "It will blow over soon enough-"

They both had to stop dead in their tracks to avoid running into two young-looking wizards who had leaped in front of them and were thrusting a piece of parchment and quill in their faces.

"Hi, Mr. Potter," one of the boys said in a squeaky voice, staring up at Harry in apparent awe. "Could I get your autograph?"

Harry threw Ron a look, hesitantly taking the quill from the boy and signing his name awkwardly. The other boy suddenly gasped at Ron.

"Are you…Ron Weasley? Could we get your autograph, too?"

Ron happily obliged as other kids, some close to Harry's age and some younger, began to gather around them, digging their own parchment and quills from their bags and requesting for more autographs. One kid, a tiny blond-headed girl, even had a poster of Harry riding his broomstick and reaching his hand out towards a golden snitch.

"Where do they even get these pictures?" He asked Ron, feeling slightly irritated, but Ron was too busy giving autographs to answer. After twenty or so minutes, Harry spied the others coming out of the shop.

"Er, sorry guys, but Ron and I have to go," he said, tugging Ron's sleeve and ignoring the chorus of disappointed cries. Ron himself started to complain that they didn't have to go just _yet_ but he followed Harry willingly after catching the expression on his face. They tore away from the crowd, Ron still looking back and waving with a grin.

"Stop that!" Harry smacked Ron's hand out of the air. "You're only encouraging them."

Ron was looking at him questioningly as Hermione and Ginny met up with them and asked if they wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks for butterbeers.

"I'm actually not feeling well," Harry lied, ignoring Ron who he knew was looking at him. "You lot can go though, if you want."

"We won't go without you, Harry," Hermione promised. "If you're not feeling well, we can just go back to the Burrow. We got Ginny everything she needs already."

They all started back down the path the way they came, eventually joining Mr. and Mrs. Weasley again. Wherever they went, eyes followed them, especially Harry. All of the witches and wizards glanced at Harry's scar as they passed, sometimes even stopping on the streets to stare. Harry's own eyes also stared at him from the posters from all angles as they walked which was a little unnerving to Harry. Even harder to ignore was the scrutinizing eyes from Ron, who Harry knew was trying to understand his angry behavior earlier and the lie he told Hermione and Ginny.

He was able to avoid Ron's questions until they were back at the Burrow. Ginny was upstairs sorting her new supplies she bought and Hermione had volunteered to help her organize her study schedule with the new planner Hermione had gotten her, to Ginny's displeasure. Ron cornered Harry in the kitchen before he had time to sneak away anywhere.

"Alright, spill," Ron demanded. "Why did those kids wanting your autograph bother you so much?"

Harry sighed, not wanting to explain himself but Ron crossed his arms and waited and Harry knew he wouldn't leave him alone until he did.

"Fine," he muttered at last. "I hate being treated like…like a hero. I didn't defeat Voldemort by myself. Besides, even if I did, I don't want to be reminded of it every time I'm out in public. I feel even more famous than I was before."

"You are! I understand, mate, but you can't stay out of the public's eye forever."

Harry knew he was right but he didn't want to go out ever again if he had to relive that experience.

The next morning, however, his wishes were denied when he opened yet another letter addressed to him, this time from Professor McGonagall.

" _Headmistress_ McGonagall," Hermione corrected him when he told them who it was from. "I always knew she'd be perfect for the job."

"It's an invitation," Harry said as he scanned the letter. "For a party."

"We got one, too," Ron said. "Only students from our year and Ginny's year are invited. It's suppose to be an opportunity for us all to celebrate the grand reopening of Hogwarts before the new students come in to be sorted.."

Harry didn't pay him any attention though, because he had just read the last paragraph of McGonagall's letter.

"She wants me to prepare a speech?!" He nearly shouted. "To give to the whole school?"

"Not the whole school," Hermione said. "Just our year and Ginny's year. Oh, and the teachers I suppose."

"I can't give a speech! How does she expect me to write it? What does she even want me to write about?" Harry's heart was beating very fast.

"Don't worry, we'll help you write it. The party is three weeks away."

The fear of having to make a speech in front of his former peers and professors seemed to overshadow the mounting suspicion in his mind that something bad was going to happen. He also felt relieved that he had his friends to help him write this, especially Hermione, who was brilliant when it came to this kind of stuff. Another emotion, this one more powerful than the others, was the sadness he felt when he realized that he only had three weeks left with Ginny until she had to resume her studies at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

A part of Harry knew he and Ginny had to be cautious about their sleeping arrangement, but he never actually complained. Sleeping with his girlfriend in his arms was nice and it usually drove the nightmares away. It was good that he got adequate sleep since he had offered to help Ginny train for her upcoming position as captain on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Each morning, they were outside before the sun was up practicing on their brooms. Harry told Ginny she could use his broom, but she said she needed to practice on her own so she didn't become accustomed to Harry's. They didn't bother asking Ron if he wanted to join because they both knew he wouldn't be awake enough to stay upright on his broom. Ginny's flying skills impressed him, but she was also too reckless at times and still had a lot to learn.

He enjoyed their practice sessions immensely as it was pretty much the only opportunity for them to be alone, plus they were both doing something they loved. Sometimes, the Quidditch would be forgotten. They would get lost in kissing one another until the first hints of sunlight would peak over the horizon and they knew someone in the Burrow would be awake soon and they'd regretfully continue training.

Every time Harry thought about his upcoming speech, his stomach would lurch uncomfortably. Luckily, with the help of Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, he made good progress on it and by a week's time, the speech was complete. Harry kept reading it over and over until the words were blurred, trying to memorize it so he wasn't reading straight from the paper when it came time to recite it.

One afternoon, he was sitting at the kitchen table alone with his head in his hands, trying to absorb the speech for the hundredth time, when Mr. Weasley entered.

"Oh, Harry, I was just looking for you." Mr. Weasley sat opposite him and, after making sure they were alone, retrieved the mysterious letter he had received a few weeks prior from his coat pocket. "The Ministry of Magic doesn't seem too concerned about the letter. No hexes, jinks, or spells are attached to it and the sender's address couldn't be traced, which leads them to believe that this letter is just a horrible prank."

"That's a relief, Mr. Weasley - I mean Arthur." Harry faked a smile. On the inside, nothing felt resolved. There _must_ be a purpose to that letter. He wanted to know who 'C' was and why he or she had sent that letter. He finally confided in Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, showing them the letter.

"Hmm, so this 'C' person is a Seer?" Hermione said thoughtfully after a few moments of musing. "And Seers are very rare, so, assuming this is a legitimate letter, there can't be too many Seers out there whose name starts with C." The four of them sat in contemplative silence until Ron suddenly burst out:

"Cassandra! Professor Trelawney said in class that she was the great-great-granddaughter of Cassandra Trelawney."

"Oh, right!" Harry had forgotten, but the name evoked a memory of Dumbledore himself mentioned Cassandra. "That's got to be it! Who else would it be?"

"There's no way Cassandra is still alive though, Harry," Ginny reasoned, bringing them back to where they started. After hours of researching Seers and discussing endless possibilities, Harry gave up trying to find out who had sent the letter.

"I don't think it's a prank," Harry said, staring at the hateful letter that sat open between them.

"And if you were in imminent danger, as the letter suggests, why hasn't anything happened yet?" Hermione supplied.

Their lack of answers and Hermione's logic drove Harry's suspicions from his mind for the time being. They decided to get outside and take advantage of the warm day by playing a game of Quidditch. Ron even convinced Hermione to play on Bill's old broom. She partnered with Ginny while Harry and Ron were on a team of their own.

"Alright," Ron called, trying not to laugh at Hermione struggling to keep balance. "Harry and Ginny will try to get the Quaffle from each other and score in Hermione's goal - which is the space between those two trees behind her - or my goal - between _those_ two trees. Whichever team scores 100 points first wins."

"I don't think this is an even match," Ginny muttered under her breath as Hermione's broom bucked forward, causing her to yelp as she held on for dear life.

Harry raised an eyebrow, hovering near her. "Afraid I'll beat you, Weasley?"

Ginny smirked at him, her red ponytail swishing behind her, and he could already see a glint in her eye as she recognized the challenge. "In your dreams, Potter."

Ginny ended up being right, of course. Hermione couldn't block anything, not that she tried. Anytime Harry tossed the Quaffle towards the goal posts, she'd duck out of the way, nearly losing control of her broom. Ginny was losing her patience quickly and shouted at her after just 10 minutes into the game.

"Hermione, you're letting them all in! At least _try_ to block it."

"I _am_ trying!" Hermione retorted angrily, swaying on her broom.

That's when Harry felt it. It wasn't the same localized pain he use to feel in his scar. This pain seemed to spread through his entire body, buzzing in his limbs and prickling under his skin. He hesitated on his broom, pausing in the air long enough to give Ginny time to score. She and Hermione cheered and Harry could hear voices speaking, but they were becoming more and more quiet. He didn't know how much time had passed, but next thing he knew, he was lying flat on his back on the grass, staring up into the cloudless blue sky. A shadow passed over his vision, and he shrank away from it.

"-hear me? Harry, what's wrong?"

It was like a switch was flipped. Sound came roaring back in his ears, including Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's frightened questions. He felt dizzy and a little nauseous. The shadow came closer, and Harry could now see that it was Hermione.

"Harry!" Her voice was suddenly deafening. He winced, closing his eyes, as another spark of pain shot through him.

"Ginny, go get dad," he heard Ron order.

Hermione and Ron continued to throw questions at him as he heard Ginny sprinting away towards the Burrow, but all of the light around him seemed to be slowly receding. Ignoring them, he closed his eyes as the darkness blanketed him.

When he opened his eyes again, he panicked, not knowing where he was. The room was dim but after peering around for a few seconds, he realized with relief that he was in the room he and Ron shared, lying in his own bed. Speaking of Ron, he was sitting on the floor against the wall opposite Harry's bed, his head thrown back. Loud snores were issuing from his gaping mouth. Harry jumped as he felt someone stir at the foot of the bed. Looking down, he discovered it was Ginny, fast-asleep, curled up like a cat near his feet. He spent several minutes trying to determine what exactly had happened. He had a terrible headache, and his mouth was dry, but other than that he seemed okay. The door cracked open and Harry saw Hermione step in, carrying a tray.

"Oh, you're awake!" Her voice was quiet, but Ginny shot up into a sitting position as if Hermione had screamed in her ear. She looked around, dazed, before spotting Harry awake and scooting closer to him.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Her hand trembled as it rested on his.

"Yeah, I think so." But he wasn't quite sure.

Hermione approached them and set the tray on the nightstand next to Harry's bed. He wasn't sure if he could keep down any food, but he took the bowl of soup Hermione offered and took small sips. Ron woke up at the noise of Hermione and Ginny moving near Harry, immediately alert. He moved to sit on the floor by Hermione and the three of them stared at Harry with such intensity that he felt slightly embarrassed.

"So, what happened?" He asked when the silence persisted and nobody spoke.

"You don't know?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"No," Harry said, feeling confused. "All I remember is Ginny scoring a point and you two cheering, then I was on the ground."

Hermione and Ron shared a look.

"What?" Harry demanded, shaky with apprehension.

Ron spoke carefully. "We played for at least another five minutes after Ginny scored. Then you started talking crazy and -"

"What do you mean, talking crazy?"

"You were just angry all of a sudden, saying weird stuff like you wanted to kill someone and that nobody could stop you."

Harry stared at him, completely blank-minded, and he couldn't help the fear that crept into his voice. "I don't remember that. I don't remember any of that."

"Your voice was so cold and detached," Ginny told him, not meeting his eyes. "And you were staring right through everything, it seemed, just staring into the distance-"

"And then you just fell off your broom," Ron finished. "Probably would've broken bones if Hermione hadn't been quick enough to cast a levitating charm before you hit the ground."

There words seemed to go right through Harry. He couldn't understand them. He just stared down into his soup bowl, trying hard to remember doing any of those things. He remembered waking up on the ground, but that was it.

"Dad said we should take you to St. Mungo's, just to be safe. But you had come around by then and insisted that you were fine and that you were just tired and felt sick," Ron said. "Dad carried you up here to sleep and you've been out close to ten hours now."

"Ten hours?" Harry felt sick to his stomach now. Why couldn't he remember anything? And why had he talked about 'wanting to kill'? He couldn't think of anyone currently that he'd wish to be dead. Looking at the others, he could tell they were just as frightened as he was about the situation. Ron spoke again.

"Dad said maybe it was just your mind trying to cope with everything that was going on. Or just having some kind of flashback of the war with Voldemort."

None of them spoke for several moments, except Hermione to urge Harry to eat. He did as he was told, but his movements felt mechanical. Scared as he was, a new determination to find out what was happening had blossomed at this turn of events.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days passed quietly in the Burrow. Harry, too absorbed in his own thoughts, didn't speak much to anyone. Ron no longer asked him if he wanted to play a game of Wizard's chess or Quidditch, but he stayed faithfully at his side during the day unless Harry indicated that he wanted to be alone. Hermione kept giving Harry polite, forced smiles when her nose wasn't buried in books on Healing. Ginny, like Harry, seemed to be in her own world, yet still she wordlessly slipped in his room every night to fall asleep in his arms. Mrs. Weasley didn't mention what had happened, but she did make sure to make Harry as comfortable as possible and always piled onto his plate at least 3 more portions of food than normal. Mr. Weasley was still determinedly convinced that Harry was just dealing with PTSD from the war.

"It's not just a muggle ailment, you know, Harry," he said cheerfully over breakfast, ignoring the deadly glare of Mrs. Weasley. "What you are going through is perfectly normal."

Harry wasn't sure what had happened to him would be considered normal. That same day, Hermione found him outside sitting on the steps, watching gnomes wander on the lawn. She sat next to him in awkward silence before speaking in a rush.

"Harry, I think you should see a Mind Healer?"

"A what?" Harry turned on her. "You mean like a wizard therapist?"

"No," she said carefully. "Mind healers are much more effective at deciphering mental problems and-"

"Oh, so that's what you think I've got? A mental problem?"

"Look, I'm not saying that you're mental. Mr. Weasley - I mean, Arthur - could have been right. Maybe the war effected you more than you presumed, maybe you're just trying to bottle up all of your feelings."

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "Hermione, I really don't want to talk about my feelings."

"You don't have to talk about them to me," Hermione said. "I think you should at least talk to someone though. At least then you'll be one step closer in figuring out what's actually going on."

"I appreciate it," Harry said in a slightly icy tone. "But I think I can get along fine dealing with this myself."

Hermione said nothing before going back inside, but she did set a flyer on the steps next to him. Harry resolved to ignore it, but his curiosity got the better of him. Checking to see that he wasn't being spied on, Harry picked it up and examined it. 'A Mind Healer could be just the help you need!' it read on the front in obnoxious yellow lettering. Beneath the words, a picture of a young witch smiled out at him and gave him a thumbs up.

He didn't bother reading the rest of it. He crumbled it up and went off to find Ron.

Since he wasn't in the kitchen, he bounded up the stairs and pulled up short when he entered Ron's room and saw Ron and Hermione in an embrace kissing each other.

"Er-"

His two friends drew apart quickly, looking around at him, Hermione's cheeks quite pink.

"Alright there, mate?" Ron, whose face was a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"Yeah, uh, sorry about bursting in like that. Can I talk to you - both of you?"

The three of them sat on Ron's bed, Ron and Hermione studying Harry closely. Harry took a deep breath and said, "I've been thinking about things. I can't just sit here and do nothing with everything that's been going on. Especially me falling off my broom and saying all of those weird things. Besides, if I ever hurt one of you, or one of the others, I couldn't forgive myself. So I've decided that I want to go find Professor Trelawney and ask her if she knows who this seer is. Maybe it won't get me anywhere, but it can't hurt to try, right?"

"I think that's a good idea," Ron said. "You think she knows who wrote that letter, assuming the letter was real?"

"There's only one way to find out," Harry reasoned.

Ron nodded and Hermione said, "She's our only chance. When would we leave?"

"She teaches at Hogwarts still, right? Maybe we could talk to her at the party?" Ron offered.

"Wait, I think you guys are misunderstanding…" Harry said slowly. "I have to do this alone."

"What?" Ron said sharply. "You can't do this alone. We have to help!"

"I don't want anyone to get hurt. By me, I mean. I don't even remember saying those things I said the other day. What if I was possessed or something? Then I could end up killing one of you and probably wouldn't remember doing it!"

Hermione glared at him. "If you think Ron and I are going to let you go alone, you don't know us very well. You won't hurt us, Harry, we know you won't. We trust you."

Harry couldn't respond. He felt immensely grateful at the loyalty of his two best friends.

"I want to go, too," a voice said in the doorway.

They all turned. Ginny was standing there with her arms crossed.

"Ginny-" Harry started but she continued.

"Every time something happens, I get left out because I'm the 'little sister'. Well, I'm old enough now and I want to help this time."

"You're not going, Ginny," Ron growled. "I won't allow it."

"Won't _allow_ it?" Ginny sputtered as two splotchy patches appeared on her cheeks, rivaling the redness of her hair. She rounded on Harry, who was still looking at her, sure he would be on her side. "Harry-"

"He's right Ginny," Harry said softly.

"What?" Both Ginny and Ron said, looking shocked.

"It's too dangerous," he continued, meeting his girlfriend's eyes. He could almost feel the heat of her gaze boring into him, but he refused to back down. She remained stock-still for a second as if in shock before, throwing him one last glare, she pivoted and strode from the room, her long hair flying behind her. They heard her bedroom door slam, making Harry wince.

"Well, that went well," Harry muttered.

"She'll cool down, she's just angry," Hermione offered, but Harry didn't feel any better about his decision.

Ginny didn't show for lunch that afternoon, nor was she present at dinner. Her empty chair at the table only exacerbated Harry's growing anxiety. What if he lost Ginny, on top of everything else going on? He didn't think he could stand it. That night when he was sure everyone was asleep (at least Ron, since it was always signaled by his deafening snores), Harry sneakily left his room and approached Ginny's door. He knocked softly, hoping it wouldn't wake anyone else.

"Ginny," he hissed through the door when she didn't open it. "Come on, don't shut me out."

He knocked twice again before giving up. He sighed and sat down on the floor in front of her room, leaning back against the door. Only a second had passed before the door was whipped open, causing Harry to fall backwards onto the floor on his back. He fixed his crooked glasses, staring up at Ginny, who stared right back with her hands on her hips. Even when she was angry, she still took his breath away.

"What are you doing?" She said stiffly.

"I fell."

She rolled her eyes, huffing. "Not on the ground. Here, what are you doing here in my room?"

He stood, carefully pulling her door shut and taking both of her hands in his. He tried to look her in the eyes but she avoided his gaze. "Ginny, you know why I had to say no. It's not that I don't trust you. I just couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you on my account."

"I'm not the same little girl I was when you rescued me in the chamber of secrets. I'm older now. I've been through things just like you and Ron and Hermione have," she reminded him, pulling her hands away. "I want to go."

Harry sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. When Ginny made up her mind, it was impossible to persuade her. He steered her towards the bed and sat down next to her. "You start your last year at Hogwarts in a week. Are you just going to abandon your education?"

"This is more important than my education," she said. "You're more important. Besides, if there's something going on, I want to be there to make sure you're okay."

"I'll be fine, Gin. But I can't let you go." He said resolutely. "I can't force you, but the only thing I can do is hope that you'll respect me enough as your boyfriend to value my wishes."

Ginny seemed to think for a moment before she pulled away from him and lied down in the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes. Harry watched her, confused, until she peeked open one eye and peered up at him.

"Well?" She said, trying not to smile. "Are you going to get in?"

He got under the covers, feeling her lips complete the smile as she kissed him. When he expected her to pull away, she was suddenly closer, putting her arms around him and pressing her lips harder against his. Until she was all he could feel or smell or see or taste. He didn't know how long they kissed but during those few moments he felt happy. He didn't think about his nightmares, or the upcoming dangers, he just held her until they both fell asleep.

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews guys :) I try to post once a week but now that I'm on spring break I'll hopefully get to post more this week.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI  
Harry took Ginny on a proper date the night before she had to return to Hogwarts. It had been his idea but he found his stomach was churning uncomfortably the whole time he was getting ready. Ginny met him downstairs in a pretty lilac dress and black flats, smiling at him. He was nervous enough as it was, and it didn't help when things kept going wrong. He gave her a flower he had found growing near the burrow, not realizing it was one that Fred and George had bewitched in the past at some point until it sprayed water at Ginny's face and she had to run upstairs to fix her hair and makeup. They made it to dinner at a small restaurant without incident until Harry, who tried to pull out Ginny's chair for her, accidentally tripped a waiter carrying a tray of plates and glasses. Food spilled everywhere and it seemed that every face was turned their way. A very red-faced Harry hurried to help clean, feeling like he was screwing everything up, but Ginny was beside herself with laughter as she jumped up to help as well. After dinner, they went window shopping in Hogsmeade until it began to drizzle and they had to take cover in a small, vaguely familiar coffee shop. As they found a table, Harry realized why it seemed so familiar.  
"Cho and I came here for Valentine's Day once," he said after they had gotten two hot butterbeers, then immediately felt stupid. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that."  
"It's okay," Ginny said as she warmed her hands on her mug. "Dean took me here once. Tried to snog me the whole time."  
She rolled her eyes and Harry marveled again at how beautiful she was. Her red hair was curled and she had worn a bit of makeup, but not too much. He had thought Cho was beautiful, too, but he eventually lost interest in her. With Ginny, he didn't think the fire between them that flared every time they met eyes would ever go out. He realized Ginny had gone very quiet and was staring down into her mug, biting her lip. Was she regretting coming here with him?

"You alright?" Harry reached out to touch her hand, which was still cold from the rain.

"Yeah," her voice was slightly higher than usual. "I'm just going to miss you. Ten months is a long time not to see you."

"Hey, I'll be able to visit. And you'll be home for Christmas," he reminded her, though he didn't want to think about it either. "Come on, I think it's stopped raining."  
When they arrived back in the Burrow (traveling by Floo powder), Ron was standing in the living room pacing like the overprotective brother he was. As Harry appeared in the fireplace, with Ginny close behind, Ron glanced at the clock.  
"Half past ten," he muttered. "Little late, don't you think?"  
Harry paused, trying to determine if he was serious or not. Then a wide grin stretched over Ron's face and he threw an arm around Harry's shoulders. "I'm only kidding."  
Hermione, whom Harry hadn't noticed was lounging on the couch, stood up and yawned. "We should probably get to sleep though. The Hogwarts party is tomorrow."  
Harry didn't want to think about that. There were all sorts of things he was not looking forward to. Giving the speech, leaving Ginny for ten months, plus he wasn't sure if he was ready to face all of his old classmates yet. Harry was afraid it'd be a repeat of Diagon Alley, being surrounded by people who wanted his autograph or pictures of him everywhere he went.  
He lied awake in Ginny's bed that night for hours after he thought she had gone to sleep. But suddenly she rolled over to look at him and ran a hand through his untidy hair that would never stay flat.  
"What is it, darling?"  
Harry just shrugged. "I'm just not tired. I keep thinking about going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. My whole life, Hogwarts has made me happy but when I think about it now, all I remember is…" He trailed off, thinking of Dumbledore, Cedric, Remus Lupin, Fred…The list went on.  
"They died for a good cause," she responded, as if she could read his mind. "I know it still bothers you." Then she added casually, "I've been visiting George in his room every day for the past few weeks. He seems to be getting better, talking more at least. I'm hoping he can recover. He says Fred would want him to continue the joke shop if he had a say."  
He watched her while she spoke and realized that there were very few people he could count on. He'd lost so many people in his life, yet she, Ron, and Hermione hadn't been taken from him.  
"Ginny, do you believe in fate?"  
She seemed taken aback by the question. "I'm not sure. I've never thought about it. I guess things happen for a reason."  
"I think it was fate that you and I met. And that Ron and I shared a compartment on the Hogwarts express that first year. If that hadn't happen, I wouldn't even be here. I wouldn't be with you or be friends with Ron and Hermione."  
"I'm glad you ran into all of us that day," she whispered. "If not, you might not have saved me from the Chamber of Secrets."  
Harry kissed her, trying not to think that this may be the last time they'd have a chance to be alone. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with enthusiasm. He felt overwhelmed by her presence, her flowery scent, and just the feeling of her body so close to his.  
"Harry," she pulled away after several moments, gasping for breath. "I want to give you something before I have to go away."  
"What?" His whole body felt like it was on fire.  
Even in the dark, he could see the redness of her face. "Me."  
Harry felt his face get warm too. She pressed up against him and went to kiss him again, tugging at his shirt, but he pulled away.  
"Ginny, I'm - I mean, I've never been with anyone…in that way."  
"I haven't either," she said, starting to unbutton her night shirt. He reached out to stop her hands, though his body was screaming at him to continue.  
He was a bit surprised. He was sure she had been with Dean, or at least that had been a rumor he had overheard when he still attended Hogwarts. She huffed impatiently. "Harry, I know what I want. I want it to be you. I think I've been saving myself for you all this time."  
He had to stop her again as she reached for him again, as much as he wanted to continue. She pouted and he kissed her freckled nose. "I want it to be me, too. But I want it to be right. Not rushed and worried about waking anyone in the house."  
"Very well," she sighed, but she smiled up at him playfully. "I guess I'll just have to give you a chocolate frog to remember me by."  
She pressed one last chaste kiss to his cheek before rolling to her other side to sleep.  
The next morning it was Mrs. Weasley who woke Harry and Ginny, who had failed to wake up on their own before dawn so Harry could sneak into Ron's room. Harry was worried she'd be mad but she just gave them a knowing smirk as they roused from sleep.  
"Get up, you two," she said, drawing open the blinds. "Ginny, bring your trunk downstairs. We need to leave in two hours."  
Ginny went to shower first and Harry couldn't help but feel excitement rush through him. The sunlight brightening the room brought with it more pleasant thoughts and they seemed to overshadow the dark memories of all of those he had lost. He was finally going back to Hogwarts.

A/N: So the plan was to post multiple chapters over my spring break. Clearly, that didn't happen. I'm trying to make up for it now. I've been having weird formatting difficulties so that's slowed me down a bit too. I'm considering posting a few chapters from Ginny's POV, but if I do that it won't happen often. Also, I may be starting a Maximum Ride fanfiction, so if any of you are interested, that should be up hopefully soon :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Harry couldn't help but feel disappointed that he wouldn't be riding the Hogwarts express to get to Hogwarts. Instead, after a hurried breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley herded them all in front of the fireplace. Hermione and Ginny were both wearing dresses. Mrs. Weasley had on a robin blue colored blouse. Harry, Ron, and Ron's dad all wore nice shirts and dress pants (Harry had borrowed some from Ron, who was taller than him, so they bunched up around the ankles). Mr. Weasley had just ducked into the fireplace holding a handful of floo powder when a voice spoke behind all of them.

"So you lot were just gonna leave me here all alone, huh?"

George leaned against the kitchen doorway casually, one side of his mouth pulled up in a half-hearted smirk. Countless memories of Fred hit Harry with such force that his eyes prickled with tears. He was dressed in the same fashion as Ron and Harry and, even though the dark circles under his eyes were still visible and his clothes were slightly baggy on his frail body, he looked much better than the times when Harry had caught glimpses of him over the summer.

Mrs. Weasley, like the rest of them, was staring at him with shock, but she quickly recovered. "Of course not, dear…We just…we didn't know you wanted to go."

"I didn't," George responded casually, walking over to Mrs. Weasley and scooping up floo powder out of the flowerpot she carried as if he hadn't been hidden away in his room for months. "But someone changed my mind."

He smiled at Ginny, whose face appeared to glow with happiness. Then he walked past all of them, patting Mr. Weasley on the shoulder who had withdrew from the fireplace. He took his father's place and turned to face them all.

"Hogwarts!" His voice rang out clearly. He let the floo powder fall from his fingertips and emerald flames engulfed his form immediately. When they subsided, George was gone and they were staring into the empty fireplace where he had just been standing.

"Merlin's beard," Mr. Weasley breathed.

"Blimey," Ron exclaimed. He turned to Ginny. "Is he under a curse?"

"Nope." Ginny leaned on her broom, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Alright, Arthur, you go ahead," Mrs. Weasley's voice sounded thick with emotion. She was dabbing at the corners of her eyes and avoiding everyone's gaze. "We don't want to be late."

They took turns going into the fireplace. Ginny's luggage went with Mr. Weasley and Ginny took her broomstick. Finally, it was Harry's turn. The emerald flames swirled around him, blinding him. When they died down, he was standing in what he assumed was a professor's office.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," Professor Flitwick looked up from his desk, a huge smile appearing on his face. "Very good to see you again."

"You too, Professor," Harry grinned, trying to hold in his laughter when he saw Professor Flitwick's short legs swinging under his chair far above the floor.

"Everyone is down in the Great Hall preparing for the feast. Do you remember how to get there?"

Of course he did. He had walked the halls of this school for years. "Yes, sir."

"Very good, very good. I will be down as soon as everyone has passed through the floo network."

Harry waved goodbye and made his way to the Great Hall. On the way, he met up with the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione. George was nowhere to be seen.

"George said he was going to find Lee Jordan," Ron told him as they all continued to descend the moving staircases. "He mentioned something about the shop."

"Is he going to reopen Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Hermione asked, referring to a joke shop that Fred and George had founded and managed in Diagon Alley before it was shut down after the war.

"I reckon, eventually," Ron said. He had just started to say something else but they had reached the Great Hall. The doors to the entrance were open, allowing them to view the large crowds of people inside, all standing around and talking.

"Come on," Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and they walked in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, oblivious to the fact that Harry had just broken out into a cold sweat and was standing still as a stone. Ginny slipped her hand in his, returning some of the warmth in his body. He led her to the side of the door so they were out of the way and turned to her. "I don't think I can go in there. All of those people…most of them know someone who died because of me-"

"Harry, they didn't die because of you," Ginny's voice was fierce. "They chose to fight, knowing there was a chance that they wouldn't make it. Don't blame yourself."

Harry let out a breath, keeping himself concealed behind a suit of armor as he spotted more people entering the Great Hall. He wondered what anyone would think of the Boy who Lived if they saw him now, cowering and vulnerable.

"It's just that I feel like they'll all be staring at me and judging my every move. Ginny, I don't think I could stand it if someone starts asking for my autograph. It look like there's a thousand people in there!"

Ginny took his face in her hands and made him look at her. "You'll be okay. We don't have to go in there if you really don't want to. But Harry, everyone wants to see you again. Not to judge you, but just because they want to celebrate with you. Besides, I'll be by your side."

Harry nodded and kissed her. Then, taking her hand, they walked together into the Great Hall. Just as Harry expected, it seemed like every pair of eyes were trained on him the moment they came through the door as if someone had announced his presence. He recognized almost everyone his age because most of them were in his class or Ginny's, but some of the older people he assumed were parents and family members.

Luckily, there were no flashes of a camera or quills and parchment being thrown in his face. People patted him on the back and smiled at him as they passed, and others hung back to merely gawk at him as he and Ginny moved towards the food table where they weren't surprised to see Ron already filling a plate. Hermione tapped her foot impatiently next to him.

"Come _on,_ Ronald! I want to find Professor McGonagall and thank her for that book she sent me over the summer."

"You go. I promise I won't leave this spot, especially if the plates keep refilling themselves."

There was every kind of food imaginable piled on the long tables against the wall. A silver goblet held a murky green punch that spewed out of a statue gargoyle's mouth. It had been a few hours since breakfast, but Harry couldn't think about keeping down anything. He thought about the speech crumbled up in his pant pockets alongside his wand and felt perspiration beading on his forehead. Suddenly all he wanted was to get out of that room and find somewhere he could be alone. He looked around the Great Hall, ignoring the eyes on his face. He didn't see any professors, but there was a man who was wearing black robes who seemed to be creeping along the back wall towards a small door. His eyes kept darting around but no one was looking in his direction. It was hard to see him past the sea of faces. Harry was filled with some instinct to follow the man.

"Harry, we're going to go find the rest of last year's Quidditch team. Wanna come?" Ron's voice was close behind him.

"You guys go ahead…" Harry kept his eyes trained on the man who was now easing through a doorway that led off towards the kitchen. "I want to…check something real fast."

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny followed his gaze but by then the man was gone. Ron took Hermione's hand and they meandered through the crowd, Ginny following close behind. Harry strode quickly towards the door, smiling politely at those he passed, hoping they wouldn't stop him to have a conversation. He opened the door just enough to squeeze through before shutting it silently behind him.

The hall was dim; only a two candles on either side of the wall lit the hall at spaced intervals. Harry could just barely see the man scurrying up ahead through the darkness. Acting on instinct, Harry crouched low against the wall to better conceal himself in the shadows and followed silently. He kept a tight grip on his wand as he came close to the man. Just then, as if sensing him, the man whirled around, his own wand raised. Harry was prepared for this. He disarmed the man, sending his wand rattling across the stone floor and disappearing from sight. With one hand, Harry planted his hand against the man's chest and pinned him to the wall behind him, the other held his wand inches from the man's face.

The man's hands came up immediately and he started begging, "Please, Mr. Potter…Don't hurt me. I don't intend to harm you!"

It was still dark, but Harry could see enough of the man to know that he did not recognize him. He had inky black hair, much like Harry's, except the man's was cut short and was stick straight. His dark eyes switched between Harry's face and his wand. His nose was short but wide and he had a cut on his left temple that spanned to his cheek.

"Who are you?" Harry moved his wand even closer to the trembling man's face. "What are you doing here?"

"Harry?"

They heard footsteps, becoming louder as they got closer. Harry looked away towards the sound, despite himself. He had recognized that voice. Was that…?

Sure enough, Neville Longbottom was sprinting towards them as he saw the commotion. He looked a bit thinner, and older somehow.

"What are you doing, Harry?" He came to a stop next to them.

"Do you know this man?" Harry asked, moving aside slightly so Neville could see properly.

"Yeah, that's the new Herbology professor this year, Professor Mallack. Why have you got him like that?"

Harry loosened his grip but did not lower his wand. The man sagged against the wall, still looking frightened. Harry felt stupid. "He…he looked suspicious is all."

Neville helped steady the man, who shot an ugly look at Harry, before turning away and beginning to search for his wand. Harry felt ashamed as Neville studied him.

"He was creeping around," Harry said defensively. "Sorry."

He didn't know why he was apologizing to Neville instead of the man, but Neville patted him on the back. "It's fine, nothing to worry about. Hey, are the others here? I haven't gotten a chance to see them."

They made their way back out of the hall and through the door. Harry led Neville through the crowd until they found Ron and Hermione, who were now standing back near the main doors of the Great Hall. They greeted Neville enthusiastically. They all chatted about what they had been up to. Before Neville could tell them, Professor McGonagall appeared by his shoulder, smiling kindly.

"Hello, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. And hello again, Ms. Granger. You're needed at the teacher's table, Professor Longbottom," she said before passing through them to round up the other teachers.

"Professor?" Hermione gawked at Neville, who was smiling shyly.

"Well, not officially," he said. "I'm just shadowing Professor Mallack, the new herbology teacher, until I have enough skills under my belt to start my own class."

"Neville, that's wonderful!" Hermione cried. Harry felt even more guilty about his actions earlier. He congratulated Neville wholeheartedly and left the three of them to their conversation.

Harry scanned the room for Ginny, finally spotting her through the thick throng of students gathering in the Great Hall. He was pleased to see Dean Thomas there to help celebrate the Reopening of Hogwarts, until he saw him standing a little too close to Ginny, staring at her with a little too much interest. Harry didn't forget that they had once been romantically involved before Harry and Ginny had started dating. Ginny looked uncomfortable, her eyes roaming around the room as if for some kind of escape or excuse to leave the conversation. Harry was at her side in an instant.

"Hi, Dean," Harry said, his smile tight but still polite. He put an arm around Ginny. "Hi, darling."

"Oh, hi, Harry!" Dean's eyes had widened considerably and he took a step back as if he was surprised to see Harry here. "Well, I - uh, guess I should be going…think I heard someone calling me."

He quickly walked away to join another conversation, not looking back.

"This makes me so much more comfortable leaving you here," Harry muttered sarcastically, keeping his arm around his girlfriend.

"Relax, he doesn't even go here anymore," Ginny reminded him, kissing him on the cheek.

"He's not the only one who has their eye on you."

"Well, I'm not remotely interested in any other boys, so I don't think you should worry yourself too much."

A hush descended on the crowd as all of the teachers began taking their seats at the long table placed at the front of the Great Hall. Harry filled Ginny in on Neville's new internship position as they joined Hermione and Ron at the tables, which were also covered in plates and bowls of food. It wasn't long before Professor McGonagall had risen from her chair in the center of the table at which all of the teacher's sat. Harry thought she looked very natural as headmistress. She definitely had enough authority.

"Good evening, everyone, and it is with great honor that I stand here before you today as the new headmistress of this school. We're all very acquainted with the dark times that we have endured in the past few years. Not only did we lose the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever known, Albus Dumbledore, but we have lost the lives of many of our own students. I'm sure each of you have a friend or family member who was affected by the war and I know the loss of them still aches in all of our hearts."

Many bowed their heads at her words, Harry included. He wondered where George was and how he was holding up. His thoughts drifted for a moment so he was startled when he heard his name.

"-first, I'd like to welcome Harry Potter to the stage to say a few words."

Every head in the room turned to face him. Ginny squeezed his hand as he shakily got to his feet and walked self-consciously towards the podium behind which McGonagall stood with a warm smile. Harry didn't see Hagrid at the table but he knew that Hagrid was in a disclosed location searching for dragons from a letter he had sent. He saw Professor Trewlawney watching him with wide, orb-like eyes and remembered that he needed to get her alone to speak with her.

Once Harry reached Professor McGonagall, she stepped aside and he moved behind the podium, turning to face the crowd. Feeling dizzy, he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the speech, smoothing it out in front of him. Even with his glasses on, he had to lean down to peer at the small lettering that Hermione had written for him. When he could finally read it, the color drained from his face. This wasn't his speech, he realized with horror. It was his dad's letter, the one he kept in his and Ron's room. Had he grabbed the wrong paper? Now he'd have to make something up.

He looked up at the expectant groups of people and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

A/N: I apologize for the huge delay in updating this story. I'm back at college now so it's hard for me to find time to write. But hopefully you enjoy the new chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"Er…Hello," Harry muttered, clearing his throat and looking up at the many familiar faces. His eyes were drawn to a movement at the back of the room. Nervous as he was, he was momentarily shocked to see Draco Malfoy walk through the entrance of the Great Hall and stand, unseen by everyone else, at the very back of the Hall. One of the professors coughed and Harry jumped, suddenly remembering where he was. "Um, thanks everyone for being here today. It...it means a lot to me and I know it'd mean alot to everyone who can't be here today."

Harry met George's eyes which were reflecting the thousands of candles suspended in midair at the ceiling. George gave him a curt nod and Harry felt a surge of courage well up in him.

"Last time I was here at Hogwarts - last time many of us were here - we lost a lot of people. Some of them were friends, some were family, and some were complete strangers. But we were all fighting the same battle, on the same side."

Looking up again, Harry noticed Draco crossing his arms and lowering his head slightly. His expression was unreadable. Harry continued, his voice shaking. "Growing up, I considered Hogwarts my true home. My real home wasn't...well, it wasn't where I belonged. To be here again brings back so many memories, both good and bad."

In Harry's mind, he was remembering all of the years he had been at Hogwarts. Memories flashed through him quickly: his first night at Hogwarts when he got sorted into Gryffindor, going to classes, hanging out with Ron and Hermione, kissing Ginny for the very first time, his first Quidditch game...He suddenly felt his throat constrict when he realized he would never be able to be a student at Hogwart's again. When he spoke again, his voice was rougher with emotion. "Voldemort tried to take my home away. He tried to take everything from me, from all of us. He didn't succeed because of everyone in this room, and those who died fighting him. They will never be forgotten and I think tonight we should honor them."

He couldn't continue after that. He nodded and then stepped away from the podium and back towards the long tables where Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were waiting with the rest of the Weasleys. Harry couldn't focus on them though, all he could see was Dumbledore, Snape, Hedwig, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Mad Eye...their faces swarmed his thoughts and he felt like grief would overpower him. Maybe it was just being at Hogwarts again that brought their memories back so strongly.

Harry didn't stop at the long tables. He continued to walk past them and through the doors, aware of the curious eyes on him. He could hear McGonagall begin to announce Neville's new position to the crowd. Right before he passed through the doors, he met the eyes of Draco Malfoy, who had moved aside to let him pass. A single tear was streaking down Malfoy's pale face but he quickly turned away, wiping his cheek with his sleeve.

Harry wasn't sure where he was going until he was outside moving in the direction of the Black Lake. The sun was just starting its descent in the clear sky. The light reflected off the smooth surface of the lake as Harry came closer to what he had been approaching this whole time: Dumbledore's grave. He still felt numb with disbelief looking down at the white marble tomb in which Dumbledore's body was encased. Harry fell to his knees and rested a hand on the tomb, bowing his head in respect to the greatest Headmaster he had ever known. That's when the tears came, and Harry let them flow willingly for the first time since he could remember.

Harry should have known, should have realized he would have been followed. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, which was shaking from his sobs.

"It's alright, Potter," McGonagall said quietly, her own voice quaking. "I miss him, too."

"He didn't have to die," Harry croaked. "He could still be here, alive, celebrating with us if I didn't-"

"Harry!" McGonagall's voice was sharp. "Harry, what happened to Dumbledore was not your fault. I don't ever want to hear you blame yourself, do you understand me?"

Harry nodded, still looking down. He imagined the Weasleys and Hermione watching him have a break down and winced.

"Is...is anybody else…?"

McGonagall's voice softened now. "No. I told them all to stay inside when they tried to follow me. I had a feeling I knew where you were headed."

Harry stood but continued to stare down at the tomb. He felt McGonagall standing near him but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Harry suddenly wanted to tell her everything he had been feeling. The anger, the resentment, the guilt. He felt that she might at least understand, maybe better than anyone. Instead, he decided to tell her about the letter, and when he had passed out mysteriously over the summer. She listened with rapt attention until he mentioned his plans to talk to Trelawney.

"Harry, I don't find it necessary to discuss this with her. When Voldemort was alive, when he was a part of you, your body was subjected to very dark, powerful magic. Not only that, but your mind and emotions were affected as well. I'm not surprised that you're still experiencing some of those feelings. I should have expected that, but I'll admit that even I nor Dumbledore truly knew what the bond between you and Voldemort would do to you. For that bond was one of a kind and has only happened once in Wizarding history. Harry, for the rest of time you will be regarded as a hero. Students years from now will know your name and your own children will read about you in books. Nobody except for you will know the whole story. But why I am telling you this is because nobody blames you for what happened except for you."

Harry nodded again, moved by her words. "Thank you. That means the world to me."

"You know I'm here if you ever need anything. I'll leave you alone now. You can come back to the castle whenever you're ready. The feast has nearly ended."

He didn't hear her footsteps but when he glanced up a moment later, he was alone again. Darkness was settling over the grounds and the castle loomed above him. He sat for a few moments next to the grave and in those few moments he was able to find some kind of peace within himself and begin to come back to the real world. He remembered Ginny, whom he would have to say goodbye to tonight.

He made his way back up to the castle and straight up to the Gryffindor tower. Luckily he didn't pass anyone and when he got to the portrait outside the Gryffindor tower room he paused, realizing he didn't know the password. The Fat Lady looked down at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"Er…I was wondering if I could maybe go in without the password? I just wanted to see it one last time."

"That's not allowable," The Fat Lady said airily. And then, looking up past Harry, she continued, "Maybe you should ask that young lady. She might know it."

Harry turned to see Ginny coming towards him, her eyes slightly wary. She stopped a few feet away.

"Hi there," she said with a small smile.

"Hey," Harry tried to smile back but it was hard knowing they had to say goodbye.

Ginny walked past him, taking his hand. She muttered the password - "Fairy wings" - and the portrait swung open. Harry and Ginny climbed inside to the familiar room. Harry looked around at the roaring fire, the comfortable looking chairs that were scattered about. He felt his whole body ache as all he wanted to do was stay at Hogwarts.

"You can visit me, Harry," Ginny said in a small voice. "Whenever you want, I'm sure McGonagall wouldn't mind, it being you and all."

Harry was immensely happy that Ginny wasn't going to ask where he was when he left. He didn't feel like explaining it, at least not today. He pulled Ginny close and she pressed her face against his shoulder, her arms wrapping around him.

Harry suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket. "I have something for you."

Ginny pulled away and looked at the small box he held in his hands. He opened it to reveal a small, jewel encrusted ring he had bought in Hogsmeade a short while ago. Ginny's eyes were wide and Harry thought she looked a bit scared.

"Harry," she laughed nervously. "It's beautiful, but don't you think this is a bit too soon?"

Harry looked up at her for a moment, very confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...Harry, I would love to marry you but...we just got back together and-"

Harry laughed now, his heart crashing as her words echoed in his head. _I would love to marry you…_

"Ginny, it's a promise ring."

"A what?" She looked slightly less terrified now.

"It's a muggle thing, I guess. It's a promise to commitment, and love." Harry blushed now as Ginny stared at him.

"Oh, Harry, I love it...it's perfect. But I didn't get you a ring."

"It's alright, I just wanted you to have it since we're going to be apart." Harry took Ginny's right hand and slipped the ring on her ring finger. "It fits perfectly."

Harry was surprised to see an intense look on her face when she looked up. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Harry."

And then she was kissing him just as intensely as she had that last night at the Burrow. Her hands were all over him and Harry was quick to respond.

"I'm sorry," she gasped between kissing him. "I don't know when I'll see you again."

"Hogsmeade," he breathed. "Your first Hogsmeade trip, I'll meet you there. And please don't apologize for what you're doing."

Ginny pulled away, frowning. "I don't want to wait that long."

"I know, darling. But we haven't got a choice, have we?"

"Do you want to come up to my room for a bit before you have to go?"

Harry wanted nothing more than that, but he reminded her about the fact that the stairs literally stopped guys from going to the girls dormitory. He sat in one of the armchairs with her in his lap and they continued to kiss until they were breathing fast. But their time was running out and soon people would be coming upstairs to their rooms and Harry didn't want to see anybody.

He was just wishing he had brought his invisibility cloak, under which he and Ginny could sneak undetected to an empty classroom to have more alone time, when the portrait swung open. Both Harry and Ginny shot up from the chair, their faces red and their breathing still hard.

"It's just me," Hermione said, coming towards them and looking at them curiously. "I was coming to warn you that everyone will be coming up soon. Harry, where did you go after the speech?"

Harry didn't want to tell her. He sifted through his mind for a believable lie when Ginny spoke up.

"He went down to the Owlery to send a letter for me."

Hermione looked suspicious but didn't press the matter further. "Right. Well, I'll let you two say goodbye. Ginny's already said goodbye to her family. Harry, we'll wait for you in Flitwick's office."

And with that she was gone. Harry tilted Ginny's chin up and captured her lips in another kiss until Harry said, "I want you to promise that you won't run off from school to try to find me, if I go anywhere."

"I can't make that promise."

"Ginny, I'm serious." Harry looked in her eyes. "I'm planning on leaving. I'll be back before your first Hogsmeade trip but I want to go a few places while I have a chance. Promise me."

Ginny ducked her head down towards his shoulder again. She couldn't look him in the eyes when she lied to him. "I promise."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next few weeks seemed to pass by in a blur. Harry was feeling more anxious than ever. Ron and Hermione often went off to spend time together alone, which Harry could understand but it also irritated him. Why weren't they as interested as Harry in finding out anything about the letter? But seeing them together, Harry knew they were just trying to enjoy their new relationship. It also made him miss Ginny even more and he swore he could still catch her flowery scent sometimes while walking through the Burrow.

Hermione, though also caught up in her new romance, was pushing for them all to get jobs and lectured him and Ron at least three times a day.

"You both _said_ you would look for jobs once Ginny went back to Hogwarts," she reminded them one day while following them down to the broom shed.

"I did look!" Ron objected, seeming hurt by her tone.

"When I said look for a job, I didn't mean just look at the Daily Prophet to see if there were any jobs available. You have to get in contact with people...both of you. And Ron, your dad was just telling us how important networking is when trying to find a job with the ministry."

"Who says I want to work with the Ministry?" Ron fired back. "Look what good they were the past few years."

Harry tried to zone out as their heated argument began. He knew their feelings for each other were strong but they both wanted to be right all the time. They continued to argue as the broom shed came into view. Harry jumped at the sound of his name.

"Harry, _you'll_ work for the ministry, won't you? Kingsley's already done a lot since Voldemort was defeated. _And_ he's agreed to advocate the right's of house elves."

"I'm not looking for a job with the ministry," Harry said shortly as they entered the shed and Harry grabbed one of Weasleys' brooms. He continued to speak as Hermione had just opened her mouth to interrupt. "I'm not looking for a job at all actually, not right now."

"I wouldn't either if I was as loaded as you." There was a note of jealousy in Ron's tone. "That'll hold you over for years if you wanted."

"I don't have much left," Harry admitted. "But it's enough to last me at least another few months, or a year even if I'm careful."

"Well, what are you going to do between now and then?" Hermione asked.

Harry bent down and pretended to tie his shoe, hesitating. In all honesty, he had thought a lot about what he wanted to do before he began a career. He didn't feel too keen on sharing with Ron, and especially Hermione.

"Harry?" Hermione crossed her arms, her thick curls whipping around her head by the wind coming in through the shed door.

"I don't know, okay?" It was hard to keep the irritation out of his voice. Hermione looked slightly taken aback at his response and he immediately felt guilty. "We, uh, really could use another player if you want to fly. You can use my broom."

"That's fine," she said. "I'd rather watch you guys play."

She turned and strode out of the shed, disappearing around the corner.

Harry shook his head and handed another broom to Ron. "What's her deal?"

"She's just trying to help," Ron said.

"I know, but I don't need her bothering me about it every day."

"Well not all of us are as well off as you." Ron's voice was bitter again. "Besides, you didn't have to yell at her like that."

"I didn't yell!" Harry was definitely yelling now, looking up at his best friend in surprise. He was so use to Ron and Hermione bickering that he was sure he would back Harry up now. "I guess since you're snogging her all the time, she's always right?"

"That's not what I meant," Ron snapped. "Harry, you're my best mate but lately you've been a real prat."

Harry watched Ron leave, feeling as if he had just been slapped. Was he really being such a jerk to his friends? He sighed and caught up with Ron. They played Quidditch for a few hours with Hermione watching from the dewy grass, shielding her eyes and cheering for both of them (more so for Ron, but Harry didn't mind this). Neither of them seemed angry about their argument and for that Harry was extremely grateful. George even came out to join, which was slightly awkward at first but eventually everything felt as natural as it had the past few summers when Harry had stayed at the Burrow.

That night, Ron had slipped out of his room when he thought Harry was asleep, probably to stay the night with Hermione. This had become a usual occurrence and though Harry had told Ron he didn't have to sneak around, Ron denied ever doing it in the first place. But tonight, Harry was glad for the time alone. He quickly got out of bed and brought a quill and two pieces of parchment from his bag. First, he set to work writing a letter to Ginny, asking her how school was going and that he missed her. He kept it casual and hoped she would not suspect anything about what he was about to do. Next, he wrote a letter to Hermione and Ron, apologizing for leaving without telling them and letting them know that he would be back by Christmas. He left their note on his pillow and creeped downstairs to send off Ginny's letter with one of the Weasleys' owls. His bag was already packed and he grabbed it before slipping his invisibility cloak on and apparating.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Ginny's POV:

Being back at Hogwarts was like seeing an old childhood friend after many years. Exciting, and vaguely familiar, but also a bit like being strangers again. Ginny found all of her classes fine the first few weeks, but she kept forgetting small details like the invisible step that she fell knee-deep in on her way to History of Magic or to watch out for bewitched paper airplanes in the hallways.

She was currently swatting one away when a tall, third year girl Ginny recognized fell in step with her.

"Hi, I'm Penny," she said brightly. "Um, you're Ginny Weasley, right? Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"

Ginny still felt a wave of pride each time someone mentioned it. She tried to make her voice casual. "Yeah, that's right. Why, are you interested in joining?"

Ginny sized the girl up. She was at least a foot taller than her, and had a good bit of muscle for a girl. She'd probably make a fantastic beater, Ginny mused.

The girl scoffed. "God, no. I nearly killed myself on my broom during flying lessons first year. I just wanted to know when the first game was."

"One week from tomorrow," Ginny responded, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at the reminder. The girl thanked her and branched off into a classroom, leaving Ginny alone with her thoughts.

The practices had been going well. Ginny felt nervous at first, speaking to her team, but everything seemed to fall into place naturally once they kicked off the ground and got moving. Her new teammates seemed skeptical of her at first, probably due to her petite size, but once they saw her play they never second guessed her orders. Only one more practice until their first match against Ravenclaw. Ginny sketched out strategies in her notebook during History of Magic, giving up on trying to concentrate to Professor Binns droning on and on endlessly.

It wasn't until breakfast that Friday that something noteworthy happened. She looked up from her eggs and toast just in time to see her owl swoop down to land next to her plate.

"Hello," she said cheerfully, offering him a bit of toast. "What's that you have for me?"

Her heart rate quickened as she read her name on the folded up piece of parchment. She recognized the small, messy handwriting. She took it and hastily unfolded it.

Ginny,

How are you, love? I hope school is going well for you. I'm sorry it took me so long to send this, I've been meaning to get another owl of my own. But then again, there's no owl out there to replace Hedwig. Ron and I have spent most of our free time playing Wizard's chest. I defeated Ron for once! Hermione has been pushing us to look for jobs soon, she's already applied to over ten positions at the Ministry. No doubt she'll get all ten.

Anyways, I hope your first week is fun and let me know how the first game goes as captain.

With love,

Harry

P.S. Your first Hogsmeade trip is the end of October, right? Can we plan to meet somewhere? I'll wear my invisibility cloak so we can meet in secret. I need to see you.

Ginny smiled at the letter in her hands. She had been so concerned about Harry lately but it was nice to know he was still doing well. She wondered why he would want to meet while wearing the invisibility cloak. Did he not want to deal with facing other students again? Maybe he just wanted to be alone.

If she was being honest with herself, she knew Harry was up to something. Probably getting to the bottom of who sent that letter. She knew him enough to realize that he wouldn't let this go until he had all of the answers. She also knew he was suspicious of her leaving Hogwarts to find him if he ran off. But there wasn't much he could do to stop her from leaving if Ginny had the slightest hint that he was in trouble.

"Hey, Ginny." Neville sat down across from Ginny and began loading roasted potatoes onto his plate. "Hi, Luna."

"Hello," Luna replied dreamily from Ginny's left side, who didn't even notice Luna had sat down next to her while she was reading.

Neville nodded at the letter. "Is that from Harry? How is he?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "He's been fine."

Fine seemed inadequate of a word, but Ginny didn't really want to delve into everything that had been happening since the summer. Especially not here at the table where others could overhear. She caught Neville's eye and he seemed to understand the things she couldn't say.

"I thought you had to sit with all the other teachers," she continued. "Not that I'm not glad to see you. But won't you get in trouble?"

Neville shrugged. "Maybe. But all of the teachers are so formal sometimes. Don't tell them I said this, but I still feel like just a kid sometimes."

Ginny laughed. "My lips are sealed. And I know how you feel. How was your guy's summer?"

Neville told her he was at Hogwarts for most of the summer, helping prepare the school for students to start classes. They expected something strange from Luna, but she remained quiet, tearing the crust off of her toast and arranging the pieces into the shape of...something on the table.

"It's a Blue-bellied Nogwant." She proclaimed without looking up from her work.

"A what?" Neville and Ginny said together.

Luna looked at them with wide eyes. "You've never heard of them? My father shows them to me all the time. They're particularly active every second Tuesday of the month."

She went back to arranging. Neville and Ginny shared a look and continued their meal. Luna's oddities were even more odd this year than ever. But Ginny didn't mind, and neither did Neville apparently. They were a few of the only people Ginny cared much to be around. Besides her team, everyone else that spoke to Ginny either wanted to know about Harry or some detail about her life that she did not want to elaborate on.

Her dating life, for example, seemed to interest many boys in her year. Oftentimes they would make efforts to be near Ginny, whether it be sitting by her in class, or joining her for meals, until Ginny made it clear she didn't want anything beyond friendship. After that, her circle of friends became much smaller.

The girls asked about Harry, too. Especially the younger ones who told Ginny they had posters of Harry in their dormitories that they had enchanted to blow them a kiss every time they came into the dorm. Ginny wasn't sure why they even mentioned it, but it always made her blood boil.

Neville never pried. And if he went too far in a conversation, he would quickly notice, and change the subject before Ginny became uncomfortable. It was a relieving thing to not have to tiptoe around in a conversation in fear of saying too much.

Classes were more difficult this year than ever. They weren't just learning magical theories, but they had to apply them. They didn't just need to know the ingredients of a potion, but how the ingredients were produced in the first place. Ginny had more homework and essays than ever before, and she often found herself up late hours into the school nights trying to finish everything. Her only solace was Quidditch, when she could really let her mind be free from everything else.

Before she knew it, the day of the first match had approached. She was awake before everyone else. She quickly dressed and made her way into the Hall for breakfast. She was a bit disappointed that Harry still had not written back, but her nerves stopped any other emotion from taking dominance. She shouldn't be nervous since practices had been going effortlessly, but as captain, she knew that her team would reflect her own leadership.

She wanted to be in the locker rooms before the others so she made her way down to the field before everyone else. She changed into her captain's uniform and polished her broomstick until her teammates began filing in, shaky and pale.

They began to pull their uniforms on as Ginny spoke. "Alright, everybody. This is the first game of the season and for some of you, it's your very first game ever. I know you feel scared, but just remember how well we worked together in practices. I want to see that on the field today. I've never seen so much potential in a Gryffindor team since I've been at Hogwarts."

Okay, she might have been stretching the truth just a bit on that last part, but her words seemed to strike up some courage in the rookies. They at least appeared more determined before she led them out of the locker rooms. They were blasted with the noise of the crowd as they walked onto the field. Cheers and boos were echoing, drowning out the words of the commentator, a fourth-year boy from Hufflepuff.

Ginny glanced around at her team as they awaited the cue for the game to begin. Sam, one of her new people, was staring out into the crowd as if petrified. Her hands shook so much that she could hardly hold her broom. Ginny stepped closer to her.

"You alright?" She murmured, quiet enough that the others couldn't hear.

Sam nodded, but her face was still drained of color. Ginny reminded herself to keep an eye on her when she could remember to. Madam Hooch called them into position and the roar of the crowd lowered to a intense rumbling of voices.

Ginny closed her eyes, preparing herself. She heard the whistle, signaling the start of the game, and immediately kicked off the ground, instinctively going in the direction of the Quaffle. The chaser from the other team got to it at the same time. He was larger than Ginny and when he collided into her side, it knocked the breath out of her. She paused in mid-air, trying to get a breath in and mentally cursing as the Ravenclaw chaser carried the Quaffle towards their goal hoops. Luckily, the Gryffindor keeper blocked the Quaffle before it could zoom through the goal.

Ginny shouted a praise at him and went back to hunting down the quaffle. She weaved in and out of the other players and finally spotted it. She dove for it, barely catching it before pulling out of her dive. She may not be big, but she was fast. She could feel the other chasers on her tail as she sped towards the goal but they couldn't close the distance. Ginny used all of her strength to fling to quaffle into the hoop. The Ravenclaw keeper darted towards it but he wasn't quite fast enough. The Gryffindors in the stands jumped up and cheered as the quaffle sailed through the goal.

The game only got better from there. Ginny scored two more times, and Sam even scored once, looking extremely shocked after it happened. Gryffindor won by a landslide as their seeker caught the golden snitch.

Nothing could rival how amazing that feeling was, coming down to join her teammates celebrating on the ground. They all hugged as the audience pressed in, congratulating them. Ginny didn't think the day could get any better until a young woman with long black hair pulled her to the side.

"Amanda Lugsby, pleased to meet you." She shook Ginny's hand. "I've been watching you play for awhile now."

"Really?" Ginny said, perplexed. "Why?"

"I'm the head coordinator of the Holyhead Harpies. We've been visiting the games at schools to recruit people to tryout. I think you would make a great addition to our team if you'd be interested in coming out to the tryouts this spring."

This can't be real, Ginny thought to herself. I've got to be dreaming. It was difficult to contain her excitement. "I would love to tryout in the spring. The Holyhead Harpies are my favorite team!"

Amanda smiled and handed her a card from her bag. "The date and location is on this. I hope to see you there, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you so much," Ginny said breathlessly, staring at the card. She couldn't wait to tell everyone at home.

Ginny fell asleep that night with the card underneath her pillow, thinking that life could not be better than this.


	11. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey, guys. For those of you that still follow my story, I'm still alive. I know there was a long space between story updates. I've just been trying to figure out this thing called life. College kicked my ass this year (thanks bio of cells) but I've finally chosen a major so things are starting to fall into place.

Last night I planned out the next 10 chapters to this story, so I have no excuse to not update more often. I appreciate the PM asking about the story, it really does mean a lot to someone like me who easily gets discouraged with their writing.

I hope I still have a few faithful followers and let me know if you have any critiques. I try to stay aligned to J.K.'s plot but if I slip up every now and again, let me know. Thanks :)


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Harry's POV

"Is that Harry Potter?"

Harry tightened his hands around the mug in front of him as he heard his name repeated all around him by the patrons of the Three Broomsticks. He wasn't even sure why he had come here, but now he realized that it was a mistake. It was late, but the pub was still packed with people who were now converging closer around him to confirm that the real Harry Potter was actually sitting near them.

He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the people. His head was pounding and he forced himself to focus on a plan. Right. First thing first, he had to find somewhere to stay tonight. There were plenty of inns bordering the village of Hogsmeade Harry could stay at. Ron and Hermione would more than likely find him if he went there but he didn't have much of a choice at this point. He drained the rest of his butterbeer and left two Sickles on the counter. He grabbed his small bag, which was able to contain whatever Harry needed thanks to the undetectable extension charm Hermione had taught him, and made his way out the doors and into the warm night. A few people mingled outside of the shops but luckily it was too dark for them to recognize Harry as he passed by.

He got a room at the first inn he came across. It was quaint with a white bed that dominated the room, a small fireplace that was already lit, a nightstand, and a dresser against the wall. There was a small bathroom connected to the far wall. It was actually quite cozy, but it didn't stop Harry from yearning for the familiar comforts he had become acquainted with at the Burrow.

He assumed Ron wouldn't see his letter until the morning. And even then, he didn't think they would search for him here first. He changed into his pajamas and thought about his next move. He was determined to find out who had sent that letter. It must have been somebody his parents trusted. Maybe somebody in the order? But that didn't add up because the original order was disbanded. Besides, anyone in the order now would have delivered that letter to Harry personally.

Before Harry fell asleep, he decided he would go to Kingsley Shacklebolt, now current Minister for Magic, to ask for advice.

Harry left the inn first thing that next morning for the Ministry of Magic. He hoped he wouldn't run into Mr. Weasley, but all he saw was curious looks his way as he walked towards the elevator. He had been directed to Kingsley's office by a member of the Department of Magical Education.

Kingsley's door was shut when Harry arrived. He hesitated, unsure if walking in would be rude or if he should just knock. Kingsley was the Minister of Magic now, after all, and even though Harry knew him personally, he figured some formalities would be expected. But before Harry could think of what to do, Kingsley spoke from inside his office in a slightly raised voice.

"Mr. Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Harry jumped at his name and opened the door to step into the office. Kingsley sat casually at a large desk littered with papers and files. He motioned to a chair in front of him. Harry sat in the chair in front of the desk, wondering if Kingsley had a magical seeing eye like Mad-Eye that would allow him to see visitors outside his door. He chuckled at Harry's obvious confusion and held up a palm-sized round mirror.

"It glows to alert me anytime someone is outside my door and then their face appears in the mirror." Kingsley set the mirror carefully onto the marble desk and looked at somebody over Harry's shoulder. "Shall we continue our discussion tomorrow, same time, Miss Granger?"

Harry whipped around. Hermione stood against the furthest wall, clutching a clipboard to her chest. "Of course."

She returned Kingsley's polite nod before shooting Harry a significant look. Harry watched her leave, feeling both irritated and relieved at the same time to see her.

Kingsley leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Is something wrong, Harry?"

"Not really. I mean, yeah but...well, I don't know actually. That's why I'm here."

As Harry spoke, recounting everything that had happened, Kingsley looked more and more disturbed. He leaned forward, watching Harry intently as he paraphrased the letter he had received. He only spoke when Harry was done.

"This letter - are you sure it hasn't been bewitched or tampered with?"

Harry shook his head. "Mr. We- Arthur Weasley took it here to be looked over. He said they didn't find anything to suggest that it was dangerous."

"Do you have the letter with you?"

Harry searched through his bag until he found one of Mrs. Weasley's books in which he had stored the letter so it wouldn't get bent. He passed the letter over to Kingsley, who opened it and read through it multiple times before handing it back.

"Harry...I don't want to cause much concern, because we don't know the details yet. The Department of Security has reported several break-in attempts of the Ministry by former Death Eaters. There have also been reports of attacks against certain members of the Ministry themselves. We can only assume they are trying to finish Voldemort's work, but without their leader, they don't pose much of a threat."

"But isn't that still concerning?" Harry felt fear creep into his voice. "I mean, you remember what they're capable of, they can kill without mercy, they can-"

Kingsley held up a hand. "I'm aware. Believe me, the possibilities have not escaped my mind."

Harry leaned back in his chair, feeling the rhythm of his pulse quickening by the second. "This isn't over, is it? It'll never be over. Not for me. Not for the people I love."

Kingsley didn't speak as Harry put his head down on the desk, suddenly feeling so fatigued and empty. His mind went to Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys. They would never be safe as long as Harry was around. And Ginny…

"Harry, look at me."

The tone of Kingsley's voice reminded Harry so much of Dumbledore for a moment that he bolted upright to look at him, just to confirm that it wasn't actually Dumbledore he was speaking with. Kingsley's eyes were gentle. "I know you've been through a lot. But you're still young and your life is not over."

"What if they come after me?" Harry said hoarsely. "At the Burrow - what if a Death Eater shows up in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping and…"

He couldn't finish the thought. He closed his eyes, feeling nauseous.

"They won't. Arthur has placed numerous protective spells around his home. He's more cautious than you give him credit for."

"And what if I hurt them? I told you what happened to me that day playing Quidditch. And nobody seems to have an explanation for it."

Kingsley leaned forward, his eyes locked on Harry's. "You could never hurt them, Harry. I know that and you know that. You would rather die than see any of them hurt by your hands."

Harry nodded, trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. "Thank you, sir. I should probably go. I guess I just wanted to ask if you had any advice - on what I should do next?"

"Perhaps you should pay a visit to Horace Slughorn," Kingsley said, and, after taking in Harry's confused expression, he added, "He always spoke very highly of your mother. He seems to know a lot about her past, or at least more than most people. He's still employed with Hogwarts if I remember correctly."

Harry nodded and stood to shake Kingsley's hand. Kingsley accompanied him to the door, sending him on his way with a pat on the back and one last remark: "And remember Harry, just because Voldemort is gone doesn't mean all of his followers simply vanish along with him. Be careful."

"I will, sir."

Walking against the current of people while leaving the ministry, Hermione emerged from a throng of people and fell into step with Harry, already in the middle of speaking.

"-cannot believe you left the Burrow like that, Harry! Do you realize what that did to Ron and I - you running off like that? And Ron's poor mum!"

Hermione was reminding Harry very much of Mrs. Weasley at the moment. She continued to rant until Harry had had enough.

He rounded on her, causing her to almost run into him. "What did you want me to do, Hermione? Stay at the Burrow and pretend everything is normal?"

"No," she said shrilly. "But you know Ron and I would have went with you if you would stop shutting us out!"

People walking by were turning their heads as they passed now, wondering no doubt about what antics The Chosen One was up to now. Harry turned on his heel, stalking away from Hermione. He was far enough away that when Hermione spoke again, she had to nearly shout to ensure that Harry could hear her, surely attracting even more curious spectators. "Fine! If you want to put yourself in danger willingly and not even accept help from the people that love you, we can't stop you!"

Harry kept going, telling himself not to look back to see the hurt and disappointment etched on his friend's face. But after a few steps, he couldn't help himself.

However, when he stopped and looked back in Hermione's direction, she was already lost among the crowd.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Harry's POV

After another restless sleep at the Inn, Harry decided to go to Hogwarts to meet with Professor Slughorn. He can't contain the butterflies in his stomach when he thinks about being so close to Ginny again. Going by her letters, she sounded as if she was enjoying her last year at Hogwarts, though she said she missed him terribly and hated the distance.

Harry had already told himself that going in search of Ginny while at Hogwart's would not be in either of their best interests as it would distract Ginny from her classes and him from his mission to speak with Slughorn. But the moment he arrived, he wanted to satisfy the burning desire to join Ginny wherever she was, whether it be the Quidditch field, the Great Hall, lounging in the courtyard...he just wanted to watch a smile spread across her face and her eyes light up as they were finally reunited.

 _Hogsmeade,_ he promised himself. _You'll see her at Hogsmeade._

He had not told anyone he had planned a visit, but he did make a point to arrive when he knew most people would be at lunch to avoid any unnecessary interactions. He was mostly successful, only passing by a handful of students on his way to Slughorn's office. He knocked even though he assumed Slughorn would be at lunch with the other teachers. To his surprise though, the door swung open after a few seconds and his former Professor beamed down at him after a moment of recognition, holding a partially eaten pastry in one hand.

"Harry! My boy, how are you?"

Harry responded with the necessary pleasantries while Slughorn shook his hand so hard his voice quavered with the force of it.

"Please come in. Sorry it's a mess. Had I known you were dropping by, I would've made more of an effort to organize my office." Slughorn languidly pushed aside a few magazines, a spare set of robes, and discarded chocolate frog packages and offered Harry a seat in his armchair while he himself settled into a loveseat opposite. He took a generous bite of his pastry and held it up. "Would you like one?"

Harry quickly shook his head, suppressing a smirk. "I'll pass."

Harry was not quite sure how to broach the delicate topic of the letter. While he had always been a favorite pupil of Slughorn's, their relationship had become strained due to Slughorn's part in Voldemort's, and therefore Harry's, past. Harry hoped that any resentful feelings between them had been resolved at the end of Voldemort's power. While Harry contemplated on how best to bring the letter up, Slughorn launched into many tangents about his classes, his students, his new recipes, his decorations in his house, and more topics that Harry could not really focus on much. His interest was only truly peaked when Ginny was mentioned.

"Professor," Harry interjected quickly before Slughorn could switch gears and begin another conversation topic. "Do you think you could tell me how Ginny's doing?"

"I don't personally have her as a student this term, but she's quite gifted from what I've heard. Phenomenal Quidditch player. I saw her play myself just last weekend. She's got a bit of a mouth on her though, especially during games. Reminds me a bit of your own mum when she was younger."

Slughorn laughed at some memory and Harry latched on to the opportunity to discuss his parents. "Yeah, you've told me before that you knew my mum well. She was a favorite student of yours."

Slughorn smiled fondly. "She still is. It's rare to meet a student who was as kind and talented as your mother was. You, of course, exhibit much of her qualities. And you even have the same-"

"Eyes," Harry finished for him, trying not to sound impatient. "Sir, I recently received a letter from somebody who had supposedly kept it for my parents to give to me if I was ever in danger. It was written by somebody signed 'C'. Do you know who that could be?"

Harry's heart pounded loudly while Slughorn chewed slowly, thinking. Finally, he shook his head, resting his now empty hands across his stomach. "I'm sorry, I can't think of who that might be. Maybe if I examined the letter myself, I could find a clue?"

Harry had no intentions of letting Slughorn view that letter unless he had a feeling that he could help Harry find out who 'C' was. He remembered all too well Slughorn's proclivity to gossip. The last thing he wanted was for the contents of the letter to be discussed with other students or even Professors. Harry stood and made his way to the door, speaking over Slughorn's protests as he went. "I'm sorry, Professor, I really have to go."

Slughorn was struggling to his feet but before he made much progress, Harry was opening the door to leave.

"Harry," Slughorn called over his shoulder. "I'm sure that if I read the letter, I could be of help to you!"

"It's fine," Harry called back, struggling to maintain the polite tone he had started with. "I didn't have my hopes up. Thanks for talking with me."

Harry let the door shut behind him. He hurried down the corridor, turning at certain places without thinking about where he was going. It was like his mind was on auto-pilot and he was just along for the ride. At one point, while glancing out a window that overlooked the lake, Harry thought he saw a flash of fiery hair of someone sitting beneath a tree.

Harry wanted to remain at Hogwarts, to be a student again, even if it meant enduring hours of studying or composing multiple essays a night. He felt so at home here still, oddly enough, considering he was trying to avoid everyone here. Thinking about his time at Hogwarts made think about Ron and Hermione. After his argument yesterday with Hermione, he was angry at both of them, but a part of him knew they were just worried about him.

Harry stayed at Hogwarts as long as he could, until he started to hear voices of students coming from lunch echoing down the hall. Knowing Ginny could be among them, Harry reluctantly turned down a different maze of hallways until he eventually reached the door that led outside. He thought about visiting Hagrid, but didn't want to risk someone he knew spotting him. Once off Hogwart's grounds, Harry knew he had to go back to the Burrow. But first, there was one more place he wanted to go alone.

He apparated to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The receptionist at the front desk kindly gave Harry the room number he requested to see Neville's parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom. When he entered the room in which they shared, he saw them lying in separate cots side by side. Neither of them moved or indicated in any way that they were aware of Harry's presence. Harry briefly imagined how it must be for Neville to see his own parents this way.

Harry himself had not yet found the courage to visit his own parents grave since the end of the war. It was hard to go back to the spot where their bodies lay, decaying far below his feet, and accept that he would never get his parents back, or anybody else that had died because of him.

Seeing the state of Neville's parents reminded Harry that he was not the only one who had lost people. Harry sat in a chair between the two insane adults until a healer popped her head in the door to remind Harry that visiting hours were almost over. Harry took one last look at the couple who would likely live the rest of their lives in this hospital before apparating to the Burrow.

He appeared right in front of the Burrow's door, wobbling a bit off balance. It was already dark and he realized that he didn't know what time it was. Before he had even righted himself, a light flicked on above him and he saw the curtains by the door twitch. A second later, the door opened and Mrs. Weasley squashed Harry in a crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, but don't ever scare us like that again," she said, half-laughing and half-sobbing.

Harry patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry I took off like that, Mrs. Weasley.

"You can call me Molly, dear." She held Harry at arm's length, scrutinizing him closely with narrowed eyes. "You look as if you've lost ten pounds. Come in, I'll knock something up."

Mrs. Weasley set off to work, flicking her wand towards the refrigerator, which opened immediately. A large pot hovered out of the fridge and onto the stove. While she busied herself, Harry spoke.

"How did you know I was coming?"

Mrs. Weasley beamed and pointed towards the living room. "Go and have a look at the clock."

Harry knew which clock she was referring to. He had been fascinated by it during his very first visit to the Weasleys' house. It had nine golden hands, each one designated for a member of the family. Harry got up and approached it and, upon further inspection, he noticed a tenth golden hand was added to the clock with his name written in elegant cursive on the handle. Harry's hand now pointed towards 'Home'. Harry noticed Ron was also at home and despite the tension between him and his friends, he felt a surge of excitement about seeing them again.

He returned to his seat at the kitchen table just as Mrs. Weasley slid a bowl of steaming mushroom soup in front of him. Harry tried to compliment her on both her cooking and the addition of the hand on the clock, but it proved difficult to do while shoveling spoonful after spoonful of food into his mouth. He was so absorbed in satisfying his hunger that he failed to notice the arrival of Ron and Hermione until Ron spoke up.

"If you keep eating that fast, people may start mistaking you for me."

Harry looked up, feeling the grin creep up on his face. Ron and Hermione laughed and sat at the table with him. Mrs. Weasley grew very quiet in the background, possibly hoping they would forget she was listening.

"Before either of you say anything else, I know I'm an arse for treating you the way I did," Harry said, staring into his soup bowl. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys where I was going."

Hermione reached across the table to grasp Harry's hand. "Don't apologize. We shouldn't have been so harsh on you. You are an adult after all and you're free to go wherever you want."

"I know," Harry said. "But I shouldn't take my anger out on either of you."

"I haven't exactly been the most gracious host since you've been here either, Harry," Ron admitted, running a nail in the groove on the table. "I know things have been rough but I say we just put it behind us and start over again."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'd really like that."

"And if you're still determined to figure out whatever it is that's going on, Hermione and I are with you all the way."

Hermione agreed eagerly, and just like that, everything was settled. While their friendship had become tense at times, the three of them knew it had survived much worse before.


End file.
